for now, the only thing we're growing on this farm is kids - not the goat variety

Month: April 2008

While we were in NC, Rosebud's favorite thing was to climb up the steps. We would take turns being her "guardian angel," walking along right behind her as she climbed. So, whenever she started heading for the stairs (when we didn't have the baby gate in place), Marathon or I would announce, "Guardian angel!" to let the kids know we needed help watching her. As the week progressed, the kids somehow turned "guardian angel" into "guard a angel." Rosebud had become our little angel who needed guarding.

A couple of weeks ago, we had the opportunity to spend a week in the North Carolina mountains in the Bear Paw community outside Murphy. Marathon had some work there, so the rest of the family tagged along and rented a house in the community. The weather and Marathon's work weren't very cooperative, but the house (and its view) was wonderful. Continue reading

The Spanish words "por" and "para" are both usually translated "for." Knowing when to use which word can be tricky for the newbie Spanish speaker. When I was in college, I remember learning a couple of songs to help distinguish the two words. Right now I can only remember the song about para. It is sung to the tune "London Bridges Falling Down." The lyrics are as follows. Go, ahead; give it a try. Continue reading

Marathon picked up our latest game, Super Blockhead, at a consignment sale a couple of weeks ago when he was killing time before a meeting. The game's object is the opposite of Jenga's. You take turns adding blocks - most of which are irregularly shaped - to build a structure. The one who topples the structure loses.

It is a game we all (except Rosebud) can play. Fun! Here are some photos from our first game.

Wal-mart carries some cheap, consumer-grade glues, but no rubber cement. (Also, I'm a bit unclear on the difference between rubber cement and the "self-vulcanizing glue" sold with small patch kits.) Continue reading